


Eternal Sanctuary

by ThisDragonHoardsBooks



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Characters will be added as they appear - Freeform, Delicate Flower, Rating May Change, mentions of Quirrel, mentions of hornet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22688575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThisDragonHoardsBooks/pseuds/ThisDragonHoardsBooks
Summary: Eggman has taken over most of Mobius with the help of a new figure only known as Infinite and the disappearance of Sonic. A resistance has taken root and after six months they discovered where Sonic was being held prisoner by Dr. Eggman. In order to rescue their friend though, the resistance abandoned their main base of operations and leaked the location to Eggman to serve as a distraction while Shadow and Silver saved Sonic. Now, the hedgehogs wait for news of where the resistance plans to relocate.This story is based loosely on Sonic Forces. It is written with the assumption that the reader has played Hollow Knight, but if you haven't don't worry. You'll be just as clueless as the rest of the main cast. Obviously none of the characters are mine. This is the first story I've posted, so I hope you like it!
Comments: 26
Kudos: 76





	1. In Lands Forgotten

This was not something he had ever anticipated. He had expected he would forever wander the ruins of Hallownest alone after Hornet had passed. He had repaired the ancient door that he himself had broken upon his entrance into the then infected kingdom with a spool of Soul Silk that she had left behind. The only entrance into the kingdom that hadn’t collapsed or been covered with time’s passage was the one atop the Crystal Peak. So how had this odd red creature found its way into the kingdom’s remains? It was no bug, of that Ghost was certain from its lack of mask. It was as tall as his sister had been when they had first met. He often would have been overcome with curiosity at the first signs of something new, but looking down on the red furred creature as it made its way into Greenpath stirred something from deep within him. He could allow the creature to continue its exploration. For now, he would watch and wait.

More odd creatures had joined the red stranger in the depths by the Lake of Unn, each carrying different items. Red, the first, seemed to be ordering the others around. Yellow seemed to be advising Red, directing where it was best to place supplies. Pink was doing a lot of the heavy lifting, second only to Red in that department. It reminded Ghost of a time long forgotten, when a scarlet robe meant guidance to the remaining survivors of this ancient land. 

She had done everything in her power, but in the end, it still hadn’t been enough. The remaining populace had been too small, the factions between them too divided to be able to restore the land. Most had left the kingdom entirely. Those that had stayed were too attached to their current residence to consider moving to strengthen the community Hornet had promoted at Dirtmouth. The town had held on as long as it possibly could, but it had withered and decayed to nothing after Hornet’s passing.

The dour thoughts had Ghost turning away from the curious work that had brought him here in the first place. He had no desire to be reminded of that sorrow, and so he headed to the caverns above. The construction was not the only thing that held his curiosity after all. It wasn’t long before he stood in front of the great door that sealed Hallownest away. The soul silk bindings held strong, so how had these odd creatures been able to- 

Ah, there it was. At the top of the door, one of the fragments had fallen out of place. As he carefully studied it, he realized it had no soul silk along its back to hold it in place. That explained how they had found their way inside. Ghost deliberated on whether or not to put the fragment back into position. He ultimately decided against it when he heard approaching voices on the other side. He turned and dashed out of sight. He would very much like to see how long he could stay out of these creature’s sight. It would provide a challenge he hadn’t had in quite a long time. After all, it wouldn’t do to alert these creatures to his presence as of yet if they turned out to be hostile, would it?

A dark figure peeked out from underneath a series of rocky shelfs in the side of a bleak gray canyon, watching as a formation of Badniks flew past. Waiting until they were well out of eyesight, the figure turned his sharp red eyes back to the deepest part of the alcove. “How is he doing?” A dim cyan light flared up around a white figure and golden eyes met red before looking down on the unconscious blue figure before them.

The white furred figure sighed as he brought his hands over their blue friend. “Not well,” he whispered back. “I don’t know what Eggman was doing to him, but his Chaos energy is all over the place, Shadow. Anytime I try to heal him just seems to cause him more distress.” His frown deepened and he curled his fingers. “I just wish we had somewhere safe to bring him.” 

Shadow’s gaze lingered on his companion’s crestfallen expression. He knew where the white hedgehog’s mind was likely wandering. “There’s nothing that the others could do for him that you couldn’t at this time Silver.” He gruffly reminded the younger hedgehog. He turned and surveyed the surrounding canyon walls for any signs of hostiles before moving toward an old radio sitting just within the shadows of their hiding spot.

“I know,” Silver finally replied, followed by a mumble that he probably hadn’t intended Shadow to hear, “I’m just… tired.” Shadow decided to let that though lie, instead switching the radio on and tuning it to the right frequency. They sat there with static as a background to their thoughts, both caught in the exhaustion of the week’s occurrences. They stayed that way for what seemed like hours before Shadow heard a hitch in the static. Both hedgehogs turned to listen carefully as the static cut out in two short bursts, followed by three long pauses. This continued in a series of odd patterns where the static would rise in pitch then fall to deep rumbles. Both sets of eyes widened when a series of high pitch bursts sounded, followed by four short pauses. It fell to low bursts with odd pauses, then repeated the pattern three more times. The buzz fell back to the usual static shortly after.

“An island…” Shadow mused as he brought a hand to his chin. “I doubt the faker will be very amused.” He looked towards their downed companion.

Silver frowned but looked up at Shadow hesitantly. “It is the last place Eggman would think to look for him.” 

Shadow closed his eyes. “You say that as if we’re going to those coordinates.” He could almost feel Silver’s disappointment in the air.

“Right,” the white hedgehog said despondently, “It could be a trap.” 

A deep sigh filled the small alcove and Shadow opened his eyes. He carefully considered Silver’s dejected look and thought over their possible options. “I’ll scout it out first.” He stated.

Silver’s head shot up to meet his eyes. “You mean-?”

“It would be shameful to allow Sonic to fall back into the doctor’s hands. I will be able to teleport away if I encounter any forces outside the resistance.” Shadow replied gruffly as he shut off the radio and piled some loose stones around it to hide it from view. When he turned back to Silver for his response, he was rewarded with a hesitant but hopeful nod. “I should be back in an hour. Stay out of sight or at least nearby unless I’m gone for longer than two.” Shadow ignored the deepening of Silver’s frown at that comment and instead pulled out the large white chaos emerald he had stored in his quills. With a quick Chaos Control, Silver was left alone with his thoughts and an unconscious blue hedgehog. 

It was nearing an hour and a half when the small alcove was filled with the light of Chaos Control once more. Silver jumped up from his position on the floor and almost rushed to question his friend. “Were they there? How did it go? Is it safe for us to take Sonic there?” The white hedgehog was almost pouncing on the other, anxious energy overflowing by this point. Instead of a verbal answer, the black hedgehog gave a characteristic smirk and nodded his head before handing Silver the white emerald. Shadow moved around him to pick up the last of their trio.

“Knuckles sure knows how to pick his hiding spots. I doubt that even the doctor will be able to locate this one so long as we’re cautious.” Shadow intoned as Silver hefted the mass of blue quills and bandages. Shadow looked over his shoulder and watched as Silver pulled the dark blue emerald out of his own quills. Silver nodded towards him and placed his free hand on Shadow’s shoulder, signaling that he was ready. The flash of Chaos Control went unseen, leaving the desolate canyon empty once again.

Shadow sighed as he watched mobians bustle around the oddly acidic lake, setting up tents and equipment. He was hoping that it would distract him from what he’d seen earlier. Sonic had woken from his unconscious state, but he had been so feverish and out of it that he hadn’t even recognized anyone around him. It was an upsetting development for all his friends. He still couldn’t get his mind away from the image of those dull emerald eyes. So much so that-

“Hey Shadow!” He hadn’t even noticed Knuckle’s approach. The red echidna made his way toward the ledge Shadow had stationed himself at. “Come on, we need all the hands we can get to set this place up before the rest of the resistance gets here.” Shadow simply nodded in response and jumped down to follow Knuckles into camp. Knuckles dug through crates and handed odd items off to Shadow. “Hold on, just need to grab a sleeping bag for Silver now.” The echidna resurfaced from a crate with a simple white sleeping bag.

Knuckles headed towards a tent that was on the very outskirts of the encampment and probably furthest from the lake. Shadow found it odd that they would put Silver in such an out of the way location, but he supposed they were the last to arrive. When they entered, Shadow stopped and stared at the floor.

“There’s already a sleeping bag here.” He intoned. Knuckles looked at him over his shoulder with a small grin on his face.

“Well ya, where else you gonna sleep?” Shadow’s eyes snapped up to meet Knuckle's at this. “I know you like your space so I set up the tent in as a remote spot as you’re gonna get. We still don’t have enough tents for everyone so you‘ll have to share with Silver.”

“I have little need for-” Knuckles waved him off in an exaggerated manner as he spoke over him.

“Ya ya, ultimate life form, we get it. But Silver’s not the only one who came back exhausted from that mission.” Shadow placed the supplies he had been carrying on the ground and crossed his arms.

“When I told you that Silver needed a break to recuperate I was not implying-”

“Doesn’t matter what you were doing, I can tell that you also need some R&R.” Knuckle’s habit of speaking over him was getting tiresome but Shadow held his tongue and opted to glare at the echidna instead. “And don’t think that I won’t hesitate on withholding you from missions.”

“The resistance’s efforts will require my skills in order to make any progress.” Shadow was about to say more when Knuckles cut in again. He was really starting to hate how stubborn the echidna could be. 

“We’ll still need yours and Silver’s help with teleporting supplies and forces, but you’ll be off combat unless of emergencies or I say otherwise. Unless Mr. Ultimate Life Form wants to become the ultimate dead weight.” Shadow opened his mouth to protest again but Knuckles plowed right through with a knowing smirk. “And if you won’t stop ‘cause I tell you to, I can always have Rouge talk some sense into ya! ‘Sides, having you around will be great for morale and defense!”

Shadow paused at the last comment and closed his mouth with a slight chuff. Though he wouldn’t look Knuckles in the eye, they both knew it was the closest to an agreement Knuckles would get. “Great!” He shouted, “You can go back to fighting just as soon as Sonic’s back on his feet!”

Shadow balked at this “But-!”

“No buts! You already agreed to it!” Knuckles laughed and hit him on the back, making Shadow stumble forward. Shadow came very close to physically growling at that point. He had to remind himself that no, strangling the head of their resistance would not be beneficial. Shadow set about moving the supplies and setting up different things in the tent, mostly so his hands wouldn’t end up around the echidna’s throat. 

“I’ll be back later to make sure you’re all set!” Knuckles called as he ducked under the tent flap. The echidna let his grin drop into a more neutral expression now that he was out of sight. He knew that all the hedgehogs needed a break as soon as Shadow had entered the camp with Sonic in his arms. The fact that Shadow hadn’t put up more of a fight and had actually lost his footing when Knuckles pat him on the back merely cemented that conclusion. He was glad he had at least found Shadow fairly quickly to pull him out of his earlier brooding. He just hoped that the resistance would be able to hold out until their star players could rejoin the fight. 

Knuckles took in a deep breath and smacked his cheeks lightly to psyche himself up and started towards the middle of camp. He had some rookies to whip into shape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the first chapter, hope it turned out well! I'm open to suggestions and constructive criticism. I hope it's easy enough to get the jist of what's going on. My sister and I tried to pick out any errors that may have popped up but we're only human, so you know, mistakes happen.
> 
> I love the three hedgehogs! The interactions between the Sonic characters always makes me happy. If the jumps between time and characters was confusing, let me know and I'll add some sort of page break. I plan for the chapters/sections to become longer as the story goes along. Feel free to ask me for any clarifications or different questions you might have! I'll either try to add them to the story or answer them in the notes.
> 
> The ruins of Hallownest are substantially different from the layout of Hallownest in the game. I might sketch little maps or landscapes and add them later on.


	2. Of All the Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's fun to play hide and go seek!  
> Too bad the others don't realize that they're part of the game.

It was times like this that made Ghost grateful that vessels were created without a voice. He would have certainly betrayed his location with mirthful laughter at this point otherwise. He had grabbed a blank parchment from what had once been Iselda and Cornifer’s shop and was now sneaking around the new settlement on the shores of the Lake of Unn. He had quickly discovered that he could not climb across the cloth structures without tearing into them and causing them to collapse. At least the comotion had given him the opportunity to sneak past three more creatures without notice. 

Ghost was currently darting between wooden boxes around the edges of a large clearing in the middle of the settlement. He had noted the layout around the edges of this camp, so he only had to explore around the middle of the camp before he could go and draw the layout from memory. It did not take long for him to count every box and every tent, to scout every corner and to discover every nook. Ghost stood behind a set of boxes and considered.

Now what?

He supposed he could sneak out of the camp and find a quiet corner to fill out the details of his new map. However, something deep within him prompted him to continue. Like a small voice inside him that whispered _More! New Play! More!_ It was something he associated with excitement, something he hardly felt anymore. He sat for a while and observed the ongoings around him. He contemplated his every option. What new game could he play? As he continued to ponder, one of the creatures walked past his hiding spot and placed an odd looking item atop the box. It was small and thin, about half the length of the Pure Nail on his back. Perhaps…

Silver smiled as he stood back up with the newly braided rope. Now all he had to do was melt the ends together with the lighter he had... left on the crate… right here… huh. Silver scratched the back of his head with his free hand. He was certain he had left it right here! He turned in a full circle and checked the top of each crate nearby. He blinked in confusion when he found it five crates further to the left than where he thought he left it. Oh well, someone had probably just moved it while he wasn’t looking. 

He picked up the lighter and melted the fibers together before setting the lighter down again without looking. Silver absentmindedly watched as the blackened gloop of fibers bubbled slightly. He sat for half a minute until he was certain the glassy substance was once again solid. Grabbing the other end of the rope, he reached again for the lighter. Only he didn't grab a lighter. 

Silver instead found he was holding a pair of scissors. An expression of mild confusion morphed into disgruntled annoyance as he realized someone was messing with him. He stood up and quickly searched for the perpetrator before realising he could just pick up all the crates and tarps to remove any hiding places. He flexed his fingers and mentally counted to three before throwing his hands up. 

"Aha!" Silver exclaimed as he spotted Tails and Shadow… who were taking inventory… and were the least likely people to pull a prank on him. Well this was embarrassing. Silver stood straight, even though he wished he could melt out of sight at this point.

Shadow Crossed his arms with his clipboard and pen still in hand and gave Silver an expression that conveyed just how hard he was trying to stay patient. “And what is it that you think you’re doing?” 

Silver stiffened even further at the question. “W-well, someone keeps moving my l- lighter.” He gave Tails and Shadow a shaky smile.

Tails grinned back and nodded in understanding. “It was probably one of Knuckle’s new recruits.” The fox pondered this with the hand that held his pen absentmindedly placed under his chin. “I seem to remember one of them liking to pull pranks on people. Gadget or something like that?” He shook his head to seemingly clear it of wandering thoughts and looked back towards Silver. 

The hedgehog gave him a determined frown and nod of his head before turning on his heel and heading toward the area Knuckles had designated as the training grounds. “Oh, Silver?” Tails called after him. Silver spun back around and gave him a questioning look. “Would you mind putting our supplies back down before you go?” The yellow kit smiled at him. 

Silver felt heat flush his face before he hastily lifted his hands and moved the crates back to their previous positions before beating a hasty retreat, unable to say anything other than a small thanks in his embarrassment. 

Tails turned back toward Shadow, looking at his clipboard as the wall of boxes and tarps were set back in place. “Where were we? I think we just finished counting the boxes of rice, right?” Tails looked up to find Shadow glaring off toward a still settling tarp. “Shadow?” He asked with a small raise of his eyebrow.

Shadow frowned but looked back toward the small kit. “Thought I saw something. Just the tarp’s shadow as it settled though.” He explained as he brought up his own clipboard again. Tails adopted the same frown at this. That didn’t _sound_ like Shadow. But, he supposed everyone was on edge lately. “Best to keep a lookout, just in case.” Now _that_ sounded more like Shadow. Tails nodded and made a note to inform Knuckles later in the day.

Ghost had panicked when the box he had been peeking around had lifted into the air. The only reason the creatures had not seen him had been because he had almost instinctively used his mantis claw to cling to the side of the crate. He had quickly left as soon as his hiding spot had returned to the floor of the cavern. He could handle messing with one of the creatures, but if all three had become involved with the game he was certain that he would create some sort of catastrophe. 

The moment Ghost had left the large cavern that housed the Lake of Unn, he had headed for the tunnels that lead lower into Hallownest. It took a while, but he was soon moving around the mossflys of Queen’s Garden. He carefully crawled through growths of vines covered in large orange thorns, cautious of catching his cloak on their deadly blades. He was soon standing in a great grove of delicate white blooms. Where walls of vines had long ago been covered in orange thorns, a plethora of white flowers had sprung up. Ghost approached a worn triangular brown stone twice his height, sitting straight in the center of the somewhat hidden room. The white flowers bloomed so thick around it that the old carvings were obscured underneath. 

Ghost carefully took each bloom, and one by one, plucked them and set them aside so that the grave’s inscription could be read again. _Here lies the Traitor’s child._ When that task was completed, he set about gathering the collected blooms into a grand bouquet. It was about time he did his rounds through the old ruins of Hallownest. He would visit the graves and the memorials to gift the memories of each another flower. Perhaps he would find some new twist or turn that the ancient caverns and tunnels had developed. It didn’t happen often, but he liked to stay optimistic about finding new and interesting things. And even if he didn’t, he wouldn’t mind. He already had so much to experience with the latest addition to Hallownest’s caverns! 

But of course first he had to make his way to the deepest reaches of Hallownest. He always started at the Birthplace. 

Shadow paused to wait as Amy stopped to look at yet another odd thing that had caught her attention. He could hardly blame her though. These strange caverns were something that seemed impossible from most viewpoints. Most tunnels were humid and warm in a way that should be impossible this far underground. There was an abundance of lightly glowing plant growth that he was fairly certain should not exist, yet it grew from the rocks and soil no matter what angle. Amy was currently o-ing and ah-ing at one such impossible plant, bright luminescent white roots that snaked across one wall to light the way. 

“Why do you suppose they glow like that?” She turned to him from where she kneeled, poking and prodding at the roots that shone so much brighter than all the other flora they’d seen. He simply shrugged at her question, honestly at a loss for what to say. She jumped up and began skipping ahead as she listed different bioluminescent things she knew of. He tried to listen more carefully to her surroundings than her rambling though. After all, they were here to scout and see if there were any hidden dangers lurking near their newly built base. 

“-and there’s Foxfire fungus, but that usually grows on wood. Maybe some of the moss here is similar in the way it just so slightly glows green! Oh look at this!” It was hard to do so when the pink hedgehog seemed to find every new sight something that she should share. 

They continued on like this, content in their own musings until Shadow spotted movement ahead. He brought up his hand to cut Amy off and pointed to where a pile of green leaves. The foliage shook as if it was in a harsh wind despite the calm air of the tunnel. Amy drew out her hammer and they both slowly approached. When they were about five feet away, the leaves seemed to expand into a small bush. As they watched, a round black head with antenna popped out with large gray eyes that looked their way. Both hedgehogs sat and stared in surprise at the small creature that had seemingly grown from the vegetation as it chittered at them and began to brush its face with its front claws. 

“It’s-” Amy set her hammer on the ground beside him. “So cute!!!” She rushed ahead and snatched the strange creature up off of the ground and twirled around with it. Shadow lowered his guarded stance and huffed at this. Typical. 

He continued ahead as Amy continued to fuss over the creature as it struggled to escape her grasp. Shadow was certain she would be able to handle being left alone for a bit. He found he was almost at a cavern Knuckles had been interested in, if he recalled correctly. It was full of gray stone pillars with swirls carved across them. The echidna had been enthusiastic about such signs that there might be civilization in these tunnels. Shadow was certain that if they weren’t currently in the middle of a war, Knuckles would have dropped everything to study and explore the tunnels to the fullest of his abilities. For Shadow, it only meant that they had to be all the more diligent. There might be someone still living in these tunnels that could decide they weren’t too willing to share their hidden space. 

That’s why, when he silently entered the room with the stone pillars, he wasn’t too caught off guard by the small figure standing inside. It was kneeling down and faced away from him, but as he watched and waited, it slowly stood. It was half his height, wore a tattered dark gray cloak, and had a white head with two thin horns on top. The horns grew upwards with a slight inward curvature. Each ended in two small prongs. 

The person or creature had left a small white flower at the base of one of the pillars where it had been kneeling. As Shadow watched closely, the figure turned to reveal a pitch black body. Two black arms clutched a bouquet of the white flowers. Two black legs plodded forwards. And two large black eyes more akin to holes in a _mask_ met Shadow’s own. 

They both stiffened at the eye contact. Before Shadow could move to do anything, the figure had dashed off in the opposite direction. They jumped and began climbing a tall ledge when Shadow’s body finally decided to act. He raced forward and jumped so that he could grab the stranger, but right as he could almost reach its leg, he was hit in the face with white flowers. It had thrown its bouquet at him, and _hard_ at that. He could feel the burn of pollen in his eyes and nose. He was glad no one else was around to hear the strangled sound of surprise that left his throat. He fell on his back, but it was not the fall that kept him from jumping up and pursuing. It was the burning pollen in his eyes and throat. 

“Shadow!?” And now Amy had caught up. “What happened!?” He tried to offer a response but when he opened his mouth all that came out was a series of harsh coughs. Had he accidentally swallowed a petal or something? He cracked open his teary eyes and pointed at the ledge that the figure had retreated over. A ledge now empty, meaning that the figure had disappeared, whatever or whoever it may have been. He sighed and resigned himself to Amy’s fretting as he contemplated what this encounter may mean for their new camp, as well as what he should tell the others. 

He wasn’t looking forward to telling them he had been caught off guard by a bundle of blooms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so fun to write these guys! Sadly AO3 can't decide if it wants to use indents or not, so I just took them out.  
> So what do you all think of the story so far? Is there anything you're hoping to see or looking forward to?  
> I know that the story has been focusing on Ghost and Shadow a lot so far, but others will get their spotlight soon enough!  
> What is the opinion on the Sonic Forces OC? I'm not sure yet if I'll add them to the story. If I do, they may come out as a set of characters that are training under Knuckles.  
> It's a head cannon of mine that most of the plants in Hallownest are bio-luminescent, because how else do the bugs see perfectly fine in most tunnels, but need lumafly lanterns in others? I figure that the places without flora have wild lumaflies to illuminate the surroundings. One of the brightest of these bio-luminescent plants are the leftovers of the Pale Root.  
> The Lake of Unn has eroded a lot of rock during the span of time between the game and this story, so that it now occupies the long room that was once full of Duranda and thorns which lead to Sheo's home. The acid has killed the thorn vines over the years. I'll get around to sketching some of this stuff eventually. Those of you curious to see what a mosscreep (the bush creature) is, look at this art by Zummeng on Deviantart!  
> https://www.deviantart.com/zummeng/art/Mosscreep-Hollow-Knight-Fanart-685788935


	3. Nitroglycerin Gelatin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our game of tag intensifies!  
> Who will be the victor, Team Ghost or Team Hedgehog?

It took about a day to spot the small creature lurking in shadowed corners now that the sentries and scouts knew what to look for. White horns poked out of bushes. Flutters of a grey cloak were caught at the edge of one's vision. Black eyes caused chills to crawl across backs when creeping around corners. It was three days later that a scout spotted the stranger dashing through the higher tunnels, once again toting the white flowers. 

Despite the continued sightings in that area, none of the scouts were able to get half as close to the stranger as Shadow had in the first sighting. The continued sightings were probably partially due to the rise in scouting patrols. The other reason was likely because Shadow had seemingly decided he had to hunt the stranger down, for what others assumed would be some sort of retribution. 

Which led to Silver's current predicament. He felt like he was running out of breath as he maneuvered Shadow and himself through thick and humid mists. Shadow had mapped the native's trail to this area but had needed to turn back when he had discovered that the narrow passages were filled with flying jellyfish. 

Exploding flying jellyfish. 

Thankfully, Silver's powers allowed them to circumnavigate the dangerous creatures. The cyan glow lifted them over yet another low flying mass of nitroglycerin gelatin. Just ten more to go. Silver would have felt like celebrating if it weren't for his heavy and matted fur. The humidity made it feel as if his drooping quills were clinging vines. He was fairly certain he had a few of the strange pink bubbles that frothed from every surface clinging to his fur. 

In short, he was miserable. Silver was sorely tempted to try and convince Shadow that they should look elsewhere at this point. The only reason he held his complaints back in the form of small mumbles at this point was because Shadow had been putting a lot of effort into this new project of his. It had not escaped Silver that this self appointed task was likely a distraction from the fact Shadow had basically been benched by Knuckles.

He was so caught up in his misery and musings that he failed to notice Shadow's sharp intake of breath. Or the small figure with a bouquet staring at them at the end of the tunnel. He was finally clued in by the dizzying sensation of Shadow's Chaos Control. 

While Silver landed on his face from the surprise teleportation, Shadow landed in a graceful crouch, the gray tatters of the stranger's cloak slipping through his fingers with a sharp chill as they narrowly escaped his grasp. Shadow would have followed hot on their heels if not for the sudden burst of complaints that burst from Silver. It was with guilty realization that Shadow noticed that he had landed on one of Silver's hands and had burnt it when he had prepared to race off. 

Shadow grimaced and helped Silver to his feet with a guilty expression. Silver waved him off when he tried to heal the burnt skin and pointed down the passage, despite his continued expressions of pain. Although he was compelled to argue, Shadow nodded once and quickly took off again, deciding it was best not to waste their efforts. 

Silver was quick to catch his breath and trail after, catching Shadow as he entered a large room. Everything was carved out of a dark smooth stone that was overtaken with some sort of ivy. Railings and what looked to have once been lamps were made of an almost black iron while stone plaques hung from the arched ceiling, covered in faded white writing. It had a cold and serene beauty despite many patches along the walls and floor where the stone had crumbled.

After the two looked around for a bit, they found that the room seemed to have three doorways on the far side and three on their current side if one counted the tunnel they came through. Each were stacked on top of eachother with the doorway they stood in one of the top two. 

"I'll search the far side." Silver declared and floated to the far end of the room after receiving a nod in confirmation. The bottom two doorways just looped back to each other. He looked back to where Shadow had just exited the middle doorway and waived to catch his attention. "These ones just loop back to each other, I'm going to check the top one." 

"This one's a dead end, I'll check the bottom one next." Shadow passively called as he jumped to the floor. Shadow found a room with an old bench and a golden bell. The end of the room had a drop off that led to a large, long, dark tunnel which Shadow began to race down.

Silver found himself in twisting dirt tunnels lined with fungus of all shapes and sizes, but the first thing he noticed as he passed the pool of boiling acid just past the doorway was the overpowering smell of decay. The stink of rot and mold permeated the air with a vile vengeance that made Silver nauseous. He did his best to hold the feeling back as he moved to search a tunnel that led deeper below. 

The cavern he had entered was large with dirt colored stone. Large mushrooms grew across the walls and ceiling, their blue-green flesh covered in small spots that ranged from an orange-brown to yellow. The mushrooms that grew on the ground had round purple caps about the size of his fist. They grew in tight clusters that either clung to the ground or shot upwards on long white stalks. 

Silver floated about the twisting tunnels, moving quickly to scout out the branching paths. He was careful to keep a sharp eye out for white masks or scraps of gray fabric. After a long and thorough search, Silver decided he should head back to see if Shadow had had better luck. He had to turn around a few times before he found his way back to the first cavern he had entered. 

Just as he passed the threshold, Silver could hear Shadow shouting from the entrance above on the far side of the room. Their target dropped through that same entrance not a second later, small bouquet in hand. Silver spread his arms wide, attempting to anticipate the stranger's next move. This thankfully prepared him to jump out of the way of a slash from the odd triangular blade the small figure had armed themself with. Unfortunately for Silver, the dodge left him open to a wide swing from the bouquet of white flowers. The moment the flowers broke apart as they hit his face, Silver could feel a sneeze building up. This was only the beginning of a chain of unfortunate events. Silver instinctively took a quick deep breath. The decaying air only further aggravated his throat and nose, causing a cascade of sneezes. Each intake of air made Silver that much more nauseous. It wasn't long until there was an odd twist in his stomach. Before Silver knew it, he had thrown up. 

When Silver became aware of the world again, everything was dark and he felt a hand carefully rubbing circles in his back. When he had regained his breath, he cracked his eyes open to find Shadow staring worriedly at him. The expression was quickly schooled back to a more neutral look, but Silver was grateful nonetheless. 

"Sorry, guess I lost 'im." Silver rasped as his ears curled back in guilt. 

Shadow shook his head. "They didn't get past you." This made the white hedgehog look around wildly, searching for their target.

"Where-?"

Shadow pointed to the bottom of the cavern where purple caps clung to the ground. As Silver looked closer he spotted the small tunnel hidden behind them. And a few pure white petals scattered about the entrance. 

The black and white pair had spotted him. He was immensely surprised when they teleported above him. The black creature had dived straight down, obviously intending to catch him with the move. Ghost was grateful that he had the ability to move as a shadow, invulnerable to any foe for the short dash where he was nothing more than void. 

Ghost was quick to dive to the nearest doorway as he entered the Queen's Station. The alcove it led to was a dead end, but Ghost knew it was his best option. He had seen how fast the two creatures could move and knew they would easily catch up with him if he crystal dashed down the long tunnels of the Stagways. He might have had better chances if he dashed through the fungal wastes towards the mantis village, but the creatures were not yet aware of the tribe. He would rather keep it that way seeing as a conflict was bound to break out if the two groups met. So his best option remained the nook hidden in the ceiling by thick green fronds. 

As he nestled himself betwixt the mushrooms and ferns lining the walls, he contemplated his position. He still carried the bouquet of delicate flowers he had collected from the mantis’ grave. He had taken to reversing his usual route to honor those who had long passed from this kingdom. He would start with the graves in deepnest, many of the flowers placed upon Herrah’s old bed. They were to honor Herrah, Hornet, Midwife, and many of the weaverlings that Hornet had introduced him to after the infection was cured. His route continued through the Ancient Basin to The Hive, Kingdoms Edge, then from the City of Tears back to the Fungal Wastes so that he could visit what was once Monomon’s resting place in Fog Canyon. He then continued toward the surface, visiting the graves in Greenpath, Dirtmouth, Ancestral Mound, Crystal Peaks, Resting Grounds, Blue Lake, and lastly The Black Egg Temple. The new creatures had spotted him just as he was entering Fog Canyon, meaning he still had a large portion of Hallownest’s graves to visit. 

Most would have found it depressing to visit so many memorials of creatures that had once filled the caverns in times long ago, but Ghost felt it was his duty to honor those who had left this kingdom behind. He hardly felt any pangs of pain when visiting the old markers and mementos, even when visiting those of his siblings. If anything, the wanderings and visits helped him stay content as he patrolled and protected these old ruins. 

But recently he was faced with a new challenge, the difficult decision of what to do about these new intruders to the kingdom’s land. Should anything be done? It had been a great length of time since anything new had graced this shell of a kingdom. The first intrusion had taken place not long after the kingdom had first been vacated. Looking back, Ghost supposed he had been a bit hasty in raising his nail against them. He would not admit that he had been frustrated at being left alone, the last and lonely sentinel. That those new bugs believed they could simply enter into his kingdom and make a place for themselves with no consideration to the old inhabitants infuriated him. 

It puzzled him that he had not done something similar as of yet. He didn’t know the reason behind his playful and passive approach, or it was something he would not admit to himself. These thoughts circled each other without end and when he could no longer handle their weight, he pulled himself from them. Certainly enough time had passed by now? He had never been very good at discerning what amount of time had passed him by. Sometimes days felt like minutes and minutes felt like days to him.* The question was, which path should he take moving forward? 

Heading into the Fungal Wastes would make an encounter less likely, but still all too probable. He could head back the way he had been heading through the Fog Canyon and quite possibly throw them off the trail. And yet, he knew that the black furred creature was clever enough to figure out such a ruse. They would likely be waiting for him in the fog. That left the Stagways.

Ghost hopped down from his perch and toward the bottom of the Queen’s Station. He was only a few steps in when the black creature came stepping out of the dip where the Old Stag would have stood to accept travelers. The red streaked head whipped up as Ghost spun around and dashed back to the main hub of the station. He was quick to make his way to the top of the room and toward the opening to Fog Canyon. At the ark of a jump he prepared to use his monarch wings, only to feel a clawed hand grab his left leg. The ethereal wings formed and heaved him forward as the hand attempted to pull him down. 

The contradicting forces caused the two to umble into a heap at the top of the room with Ghost landing the furthest away from his targeted doorway. The two were quick to stand and face off, one resolved to keep the other from passing, the second intent on escaping. Ghost took a step to the side and the other lunged in that direction. Luckily, Ghost had intended it as a feint. He dashed backwards, heading for the fungal wastes. 

Ghost thought about swimming to another alcove through the acid but quickly decided against it seeing as he had a teleporting pursuer. He dashed past the pool and spotted his pursuer quickly approaching. Instead of taking the straight approach, Ghost deftly ducked under the charge and dashed deeper into the Fungal Wastes. He could hear loud exclamations from behind him. 

Looking forward, the white creature stood blocking the narrow space of the exit. Perhaps he could scare them away with his nail, or even distract them? Ghost gave a half-hearted slash, careful to not actually nick the creature. Next came the trick he had already used on the other one. Unfortunately, Ghost had miscalculated how much area these creatures took up. The white creature was now oddly twitching about in the tight space. There was no room to slide past, and Ghost was hesitant to actually hurt the creature with his Sharp Shadow charm making his movements as a shadow painful to those he passed through. 

The hidden hole he had encountered Cornifer in was behind him, wasn’t it? A hasty decision had him spinning around and dashing into the tinny tunnel to it. The small hole was the same as he remembered it, cramped and dim. He was trapped with the only exit being the same one had had just fled through. He really hadn’t thought this through so well had he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took me so long to finish this chapter! Thank you all so much for patiently waiting for it to come out.  
> As always, feel free to comment on the story, hearing from my readers always motivates me! I really want to hear what hopes or ideas you guys have for the story. Also, should I make a discord channel for that sort of thing? Would anyone be interested?  
> Those exploding jellyfish are called Ooma, and they're quite possibly one of the most annoying hazards/enemies in the early stages of Hollow Knight. I haven't been able to play the game in a while sadly. I haven't even gotten to Uumuu! Oh well.  
> What new game should Ghost play now that tag seems to be at its end? Or perhaps he should learn a new game from his potential new friends?   
> I've always thought that the Fungal Wastes would smell extremely nauseating to those not used to it, and I don't think Ghost has a sense of smell.


	4. Sorry Guys

Sorry guys, but this isn't a new chapter. This is a heads up that I won't be updating for a while. My dog died today and I just won't be able to work on the story for a while. I promise not to abandon the story, so don't panic! I hope all of you are doing ok, so stay safe!


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